The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as Dahlia hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98VK41xe2x80x99.
The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lisse, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Dahlia cultivars with freely branching growth habit, decorative inflorescence form, attractive ray floret colors, and good inflorescence longevity.
The new Dahlia originated from a cross pollination made by the Inventor in 1994 of the Dahlia hybrida Gallery Peter Paul, not patented, as the female or seed parent with an unnamed proprietary Dahlia hybrida seedling selection, not patented, as the male or pollen parent. The new Dahlia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in a controlled environment in Lisse, The Netherlands, in the summer of 1995. The selection of this plant was based on its compact plant habit and attractive ray floret coloration.
Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by cuttings was first conducted in Lisse, The Netherlands in the spring of 1996. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Dahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar VK 41 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, light intensity, water and nutritional status without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98VK 41xe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98VK 41xe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Dahlia:
1. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit, full and dense plants.
3. Freely flowering habit.
4. Decorative inflorescence form with inflorescences held above the foliage on strong peduncles.
5. Pink and yellow bi-colored ray florets that are purple when developing.
6. Excellent garden performance.
7. Excellent inflorescence longevity.
Plants of the new Dahlia are shorter, more freely branching and have larger inflorescences than plants of the female parent, the cultivar Gallery Peter Paul. In addition, plants of the new Dahlia have pink and yellow bi-colored ray florets whereas plants of the cultivar Gallery Peter Paul have dark pink-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Dahlia differ primarily from plants of the male parent, an unnamed proprietary seedling selection, in ray floret coloration.